Serum Uric Acid Levels and Cardiovascular Risk in Hypertensive Patients at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital

Elevated serum uric acid has been increasingly recognised as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may exacerbate endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients. This study investigated the association between serum uric acid levels and cardiovascular risk markers in hypertensive patients attending the cardiology clinic of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Federal Capital Territory. A case-control study recruited 150 hypertensive patients and 75 normotensive controls. Fasting serum uric acid was measured by the uricase enzymatic colorimetric method. Lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, and body mass index were also assessed. Cardiovascular risk was estimated using the Framingham Risk Score. Mean serum uric acid was significantly elevated in hypertensive patients at 7.2 mg/dL compared to 4.9 mg/dL in controls. Hyperuricaemia was present in 41.3% of hypertensive patients. Serum uric acid showed significant positive correlations with systolic blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, serum creatinine, and Framingham Risk Score. Hypertensive patients with hyperuricaemia had significantly higher cardiovascular risk scores than those with normal uric acid. Female hypertensive patients showed higher uric acid levels than males. Diuretic use was associated with higher uric acid in medicated patients. The findings support routine serum uric acid measurement in hypertension management and advocate for integrated cardiometabolic risk assessment in hypertension clinics across Nigeria. Keywords: serum uric acid, hypertension, cardiovascular risk, hyperuricaemia, Framingham Risk Score